Comments on: The Yankees hit a lot of home runs. This is a problem?

By: cogitobaseballergosum

cogitobaseballergosum — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:45:12 +0000

Bases loaded, two outs….Dang, another home run! If he’d have just hit a single we’d have a better chance of winning during the playoffs.

By: indaburg

indaburg — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 20:01:11 +0000

In related news, I am just too ridiculously rich and good-looking.

By: leeeroooyjeeenkiiins

leeeroooyjeeenkiiins — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:36:23 +0000

Lol, try being a Rays fan. We’re homerun dependent too, only difference being that we aren’t even good at it.

By: anxovies

anxovies — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:18:49 +0000

If you drop in on the Yankee chatrooms at the team website you will find a lot of hand wringing about too many homeruns and leaving runners on base. A lot of Yankee fans have been convinced by baseball analysts that reliance on the long ball has doomed the team’s postseason chances. This Yankee angst has progressed to the comical. There are posts calling for Girardi’s head, as if he has any control over when and how often his players hit homers, and even though his team has the best record in the majors.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:00:44 +0000

I don’t mind the occasional (occasional!) bunt to change the way the defense sets up. I also have no problem with bunting for a base hit in “sacrifice situations” – you’re still trying to get on base, and if that fails well then at least you move the runners over. But the priority should be increasing the likelihood of reaching base (in both the immediate and long term), not moving the runners over.

By: sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo

sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:39:20 +0000

Kind of the like Nats pitchers who are striking out too many hitters, according to their pitching coach. Just smile and enjoy the ride…

By: protectthishouse54

protectthishouse54 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:08:20 +0000

Some good comments here. As a Yankee fan, I’m not worried about the team hitting homers in October… I’m worried about the team hitting anything in October.

By: jsally430

jsally430 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:43:35 +0000

wish this was a “problem” for the twins

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:40:03 +0000

so ~16% of their games, they score 2 or more runs. (6/7)

Sigh, 16% of their games they score less than 2 runs. God i’m such an idiot.

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:38:41 +0000

I think they’re at a disadvantage in low scoring games because of things like that and not having a single person on the team that can lay down a bunt consistantly if you held a gun to their head.

Possibly, but they just aren’t often in low scoring games. (Per bref), they’ve played 91 games this year. 7/91 (7.7%) they’ve been shut out. 8/91 they’ve only scored one run. so ~16% of their games, they score 2 or more runs. (6/7). As I’m sure you’ve read since they mention it all the time, the Yanks have scored 3 runs in 42 straight games.

By: lardin

lardin — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:38:12 +0000

As far as I am concerned this is only on situation when an MLB team should bunt: Runners on first and Second, late in a one run game. The reason is simple, to avoid the double play and set your self up where a sac fly gets one run and base hit gets two.

Other than that, dont bunt.

By: MattJanik

MattJanik — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:26:42 +0000

I don’t remember the exact number, but SNY has cited a couple times this season that the team that hits more home runs in any particular game wins something like 70% of the time because, you know, home runs score runs, and the team that scores more runs tends to be the team that wins the game… I’m sure there are 29 other teams that would take some of those sluggers off their hands, if they’re so inclined.

By: F14TRex.com

F14TRex.com — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:21:37 +0000

STL media complained last year that the Cardinals couldn’t score unless they hit a homerun. The team finished with by far the most runs scored in the National League at the end of the regular seasons and pounded bomb after bomb in the playoffs until they won a world title.

Doesn’t matter how you get em.

By: surefooted1

surefooted1 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:09:56 +0000

Exactly. Good pitchers are good because they don’t give up sequential hits that turn into rallies. All pitchers make mistakes. Having a lineup that can punish the pitcher and take full advantage of the mistake is a huge advantage.

Those who say the Yankees won’t win because of having to face better pitchers in October should probably check out how they’ve handled good pitchers throughout the year.

The Yankees may very well not win the WS, but it won’t be because they hit too many homers.

By: tuloisgod

tuloisgod — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:49:58 +0000

Hmm. Judging from the way the ball is flying out of the park around the Majors, I have two observations:

a. Allen “Bud” Selig secretly has authorized the manufacture of a new supply of rabbit balls. The HR totals around the league would suggest that, and it makes a little sense: Nothing generates interest in baseball (among casual fans) more than lots of homers and basketball-like offense, and a new generation of longball-bashing superstars might obscure the greatest failing of Selig’s reign, his blind eye toward the Steroid Era.

ii. I’m sick and tired of hearing how “offensive” Coors Field plays. Yes, there is a lot of offense (and for good reason — a spacious ballpark combined with thinner air that leaves breaking balls spinning), but there are LOTS of modern parks that generate at least as many homers and — Yankee Stadium, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Houston, Boston … Quit allowing the Coors Field factor to cloud the judgment of Rockies hitters, once and for all!

By: deathmonkey41

deathmonkey41 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:49:44 +0000

I have no problem with them hitting HRs- my problem is with their inability to move runners station to station if the situation absolutely calls for it. Do HRs move runners along? Sure, but grounding out to the shortstop when you have a runner on 2nd with 1 or no outs because you’re trying to pull it out of the park instead of going to the right side doesn’t help very much. I think they’re at a disadvantage in low scoring games because of things like that and not having a single person on the team that can lay down a bunt consistantly if you held a gun to their head.

By: ptfu

ptfu — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:28:19 +0000

Hitting the ball hard is even better with runners frequently on base. Yankees are second in the league in OBP, only 0.001 behind the Rangers. Naturally the Bronx Bombers have a big lead in SLG.

By: deathmonkey41

deathmonkey41 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:26:15 +0000

You’re also not facing team’s 4 and 5 pitchers in the playoffs.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:24:18 +0000

Yeah, it’s all tied into this idea that the Yankees will somehow fail against top SP in the playoffs because they hit too many home runs. Bull. The top 15 SP (by fWAR) this year have been: Verlander, Sale, King Felix, Gio, Greinke, Strasburg, Dickey, Kershaw, Cueto, Sabathia, Peavy, Cain, Harrison, Hammel and Lee. The Yankees have faced those pitchers nine times – Hammel and Verlander twice, Felix, Gio, Dickey, Cueto and Peavy once each. Their average line against the Yankees? 6.1 IP, 4.74 ERA, 5.37 RA/9, 10.6 H/9, 1.42 HR/9, 3.00 BB/9, 7.26 K/9, 2.42 K/BB. Yeah, it’s too bad the Yankees just can’t hit against the kind of pitching they’ll be facing in the playoffs.

By: zachcomtois

zachcomtois — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:20:16 +0000

Somebody forgot to tell David Freese

By: sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo

sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:06:40 +0000

Wouldn’t the pitchers be just as likely to succumb to the same sort of playoff pressure that causes the hitters to choke? I’m just not buying this theory.

By: sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo

sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:04:30 +0000

Don’t tell that to Aaron Boone.

The Yankees are not the sort of team that can only homer against scrubs. They have been beating up on the best teams in baseball, and largely due to HR. It’s not like some UFO lands in early October deposits a new breed of superpitcher. If they just keep doing what they have been doing, they should see plenty of success.

By: lardin

lardin — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:59:46 +0000

Some of the pitchers the Yankees have beat this year:
Bucholz, Holland, Verlander, Shields, Price, Gonzalez, Jackson, Masterson, JIminez, Peavy, Lester, Becket, Santana and Hudson.

Some of these guys they will most likely see in the playoffs.
Also add in Weaver who the Yankees lit up, but ended up losing the game anyway…

By: deathmonkey41

deathmonkey41 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:59:22 +0000

Girardi calls for the 3 run homer even if there’s only 1 guy on base.

By: ptfu

ptfu — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:43:18 +0000

Earl Weaver approves this message.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:31:35 +0000

In other words, the Yankees are often in scoring position when they are at bat.

By: Alex K

Alex K — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:27:01 +0000

Right. If you’re getting Verlandered then manufacturing runs is most likely going to be harder.

By: thenoblefacehumper

thenoblefacehumper — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:26:30 +0000

As a Yankee fan I’ve heard plenty of this and never understood any of it. Isn’t hitting home runs the most sustainable way to score? A good defense can stop an offense that “manufactures” runs. No defense for the long ball.

By: Jason @ IIATMS

Jason @ IIATMS — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:19:56 +0000

^ THIS

By: Jason @ IIATMS

Jason @ IIATMS — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:19:19 +0000

What, we’re supposed to kick back on our recliners and accept the team as it is? Nooooo! The MSM must find a way to make us anxious and nervous.

/sell me some newspaper!

If Verlander happens, it happens. I just want to make sure my team is in it.